Change, Grow, LIVE!

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though He was God He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead He gave up His divine privileges.

He humbled Himself in obedience to God.

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names. – Philippians 2:5-9

 

 If we don’t change, we don’t grow.  If we don’t grow we aren’t really living. – Gail Sheehy, author and journalist

 

If you want to kiss the sky you better learn how to kneel.  On your knees boy! – U2, Mysterious ways

 

Are you changing, growing and therefore living?

I mean real change, growth and living.

The “how” is contradictory to the ways of the culture’s mindset.

 

To be transformed by the renewing of our mind we must realize change must come from within us first before changes can be made in our environment.  We can be deceived in believing that we “are who we are” and “this is who I am whether you like it or not”.  We do others and ourselves a disservice when we have a self preserving attitude.

We need to have change in order to have peace and promise.

We need change that transforms us from selfish to selfless.

For God knew you in advance, to conform into the image of His Son. – Romans 8:29

To really grow empowered and emboldened we must sow Christ like thoughts and actions into ourselves.

To really change how things in our life go we must deliberately make changes in our demeanor in regards to others.

Learning to walk away when offended

Speaking positive when others are only negative

Staying humble when pride wants to burst out

Yielding to others when our ego seeks reckoning.

Consistently pointing out the good in others

Praying for those who are unkind and unfair to you

Give without expecting anything in return.

Love the unlovable

Care for the least

 

Aligning ourselves with God’s will allows His peace, favor and wisdom to flow in and through us.

When we trust in God’s ways and kick our ego and pride to the curb we start to see His power work in and around us.

When we institute these changes in our behavior we create change in our environment and we begin to learn to LIVE how God intended us to – enriched.

I want to encourage you to make these behaviors part of your lifestyle.  A lifestyle of LIVING the abundant life you were purposed to live.

The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.  But, I have come that they may have life, and to have it abundantly. – John 10:10

Intentionally, today….and everyday…change, grow, LIVE

Honor With Excellence

“What more can I say to You about the way You have honored me? You know what Your servant is really like.” – 1 Chronicles 17:18

 

God knows every wretched thing about you. All that has dishonored Him and still He honors you.

He blesses you.

Cleanses and renews you.

Replenishes and empowers you.

 

How much more to honor Him by taking what He has given you – Mind, body and spirit and strengthening the whole of you.

No matter what is going on in your life, do not settle! Do not be mediocre. Do what is hard.  Stay the course and do…well, all endeavors.

Quit allowing the mediocrity that is prevalent all around you to dumb you down!

You are a Champion.

Live every aspect of your life as one.

Strive forward in His excellence!  That is the very least we can do for God.

 

Intentionally, today….and everyday…honor God with your life because He gave His

 Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13

I look to the hills- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord my God, maker of heaven and earth. –  Psalm 121:1

The problem is not that there are problems.  The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is the problem. – Theodore Rubin, psychiatrist and author

It is not that you have peaks and valleys; it’s that you have railroad tracks.  You constantly have good and bad things going on in life.

I had a woman that manned our front desk for our business.  She took all the phone calls and was the first to greet each customer that would walk in.  She would get my attention on the phone or come into my office with dread in her look/voice.  “Matt, we have a problem.”  She always had a voice and look of doomsday.

 

I finally told her that she wasn’t allowed anymore to use the word “problem.”  She would have to use the word “challenge.”  Challenge sounded so much more doable.  It made it seem like competition and we were prepared to go at it.  It had a psychological effect on her.  She now knew that “challenges” were inevitable, but that we had the resourcefulness and skill to bring a solution.  It emboldened her.

 

Problems are challenges

Challenges are opportunities

Opportunity to discover the arsenal within you to stand and deliver.

 

I truly believe and have seen in my own life that when we look at stuff happening in life as challenges/opportunities instead of problems we are more empowered to find a solution.

To be transformed by the renewing of your mind is to respond with faith to situations arise believing and knowing that you are an over comer!

So, today when the challenge comes your way rub your hands together, nod your head and say “we got this!”

STAY POSITIVE!

Intentionally, today….and everyday…face your challenges as opportunities

Training Wheels

Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and at just the right time He will exalt you. – 1 Peter 5:6

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, patient, filled with unfailing love and faithfulness – Psalm 86:15

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them. Every day begin the task anew – Francis de Sales

God will use my relationship and experiences with my children to teach me about His character and His never ceasing love for me.

One instance was years ago teaching my oldest girl to ride her bike without her training wheels. It was time. She was more than ready and was too old to be riding with training wheels still. It was hard in her frustration and anger at herself and to me for having to do it; over and over awkwardly and falling. We would try another day. I cannot try to explain to her when she is falling and going nowhere on the bike that she will get it and will be so joyous when she is taking off and flying down the street on her own. But I continued to encourage her and guided her with one hand on the back of her seat and the other on the handle bars (that she started yelling “don’t let go!”) But as we go I can sense the right time to take my hand off and just run next to her. When she sees that she is doing it herself, she breaks out in joy!

She gains confidence in herself for achieving.

 A stepping stone of life.

 

Is God trying to take the training wheels off in an area in your life?

It is when you grow in faith in what you don’t see more and more. That you trust Him even more and with that growing faith you step boldly into His increased call in your life.

 

God’s timing is perfect. I knew that it was time for my daughter to take the training wheels off. I wasn’t letting her ride alone by herself. I was still riding next to her but she was learning to balance the bike herself than using the training wheels.

God is patient – I knew that in time she would be able to do it. It was just a matter of time therefore we kept working on it. God is patient with you; continually working on you.

It’s how you grow. Could you imagine being 20, 30, 40+ years old riding a bike with training wheels? Of course not. It is an analogy, though, of all aspects of our lives. We have to grow up.

It empowered her even though at first she was uncertain and a little afraid. But how great the reward!

He is still right beside you, never leaving you.

Is there an area in your life that God is calling you to strip the training wheels and grow in your spiritual maturity?

Intentionally, today….and everyday…take off the training wheels

 

Take Charge!

No longer conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect – Romans 12:2

 

You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, light will shine on your ways. – Job 22:28

 

I have stood here before in the pouring rain.

With the world turning circles runnin round my brain

I guess I’m always hoping that you’ll end this reign

But it’s my destiny to be the king of pain

The POLICE, King of Pain

 

Have you given up? It is what it is?– Which is my #1 pet peeve phrase.  NO, it is only what it is that we allow it to be.

The greatest and most powerful of all of God’s creation is our human brain.  It is also the most taken for granted and neglected.  We are free to do what we will with it. We use so little of it.

So many circumstances that we find ourselves in we believe we have not any power to change.  We have settled and rationalized that it is what it is.

In order for us to have life change we must intentionally instill change.

Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality. – Earl Nightingale, author and personal development pioneer

Consistently and deliberately we need to deposit in our minds empowering scripture, quotes and words.  We need to continue challenge and expand our mind with new information, learning from books, teaching videos and most importantly the truth from the bible.  The brain is like a muscle, it only gets stronger as you work it out.  But, just like working out, it takes time.  You must deliberately repeat in order that it becomes a habit.

It’s in controlling what goes in your mind that you are able to direct what comes out of it.  The main thing that happens is stimulation that, where you once settled and compromised, ideas begin to formulate.  Your brain becomes more active.  Creativity from your imagination empowers you to take charge of YOU within a circumstance.  To construct new emboldened habits.

God has blessed us with the most powerful tool – our brain.  Let’s honor Him by using it for its main purpose: to choose to LIVE excellent.

Intentionally, today….and everyday… exercise and strengthen your mind

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they will have will be taken away from them.

That is why I use these parables.

For they look but don’t really see.

They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.  

Matthew 13:12-13.

 

God wants you to get it.

He wants you to know how to LIVE well and wisely on this Earth.

He wants to teach you.

But He wants you to seek and hunger for it.

It’s the Kingdom of Heaven….right here on Earth.

 

I remember the first I saw the movie “The Sixth Sense” If you haven’t. spoiler alert!

At the end of the movie when you realize, just when Bruce Willis also realizes, that his character is not alive but a ghost, my mouth just dropped. What! I never saw it. But it was there for me to see. I wasn’t looking for it. Not paying attention.

I immediately watched it again. This time I watched very closely to find the very subtle hints that would reveal pieces of the puzzle. Because I saw the end I could pay attention and see these things watching it again.

If life could be so easy. But it is not. And there isn’t any rewind.

We have to listen, pay attention, learn, and be taught…..right now.

 

To him who watches, everything will be revealed. – Italian proverb

 

We ask God for a lot of things, stuff, wants, needs.

Seek First the Kingdom of God; His righteousness, and all else will be added to you – Matthew 6:33

Intentionally, today…and everyday…. Ask God for eyes to see all that He is trying to show you, today – hidden treasures for you to live well and wisely.

 THEN – PAY ATTENTION– not to what the world is trying to sell you on, but what God is giving you for free

LIVE Arete’!

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. – Colossians 3:23

Do everything without complaining – Philippians 2:14

There is always someone watching you that has the ability to bless you.  There is always someone watching you that you have the ability to bless. Both contingent on your attitude.

Our attitude is the biggest factor that we have control over that we will allow to keep us from receiving our blessings.

It’s realizing that every day we can choose to have an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done.  When we are mindful to the depths of love God has for us and all the mercy and grace He has freely disposed on us it should give us a joyful heart, regardless of a temporary “bad” day we might be having.

 

Determined to have a good attitude will empower you in sticktudividness. 

Determined to have a good attitude will give others notice of your integrity and character.

With a good attitude we determine how good our day is. 

Having a good attitude the world responds in reciprocal excellence.

Most of all a good attitude shows God that you are qualified for new rewards blessings.

Attitude is the difference maker.

Attitude is the great equalizer to any lack that we might have.

 

An attitude of excellence will bring out all excellence within you and become part of your lifestyle.

The Greek’s call it Arête – LIVE EXCELLENT

An excellent attitude will enhance your living.  It can change so much in your daily living.  Bringing blessings to you and thru you.

Attitude is a choice.

Choose today

Intentionally, today….and everyday…bring attitude, LIVE Arête

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. – Proverbs 15:1

Be quick to listen, slow to talk and slow to grow angry. – James 1:19

It isn’t so much what we say as how we say it.

It isn’t so much what we say as when we say it.

 

I see the affect pausing and speaking in a controlled response to another when observing my wife with an obstinate daughter.

When you control you, you control the atmosphere. 

It is permitting you to be empowered by allowing clarity to come into focus. It’s from starting the day asking for wisdom, discernment and clarity.

 

Avoid reacting, but respond. 

Reacting is being controlled by another.  Responding is being under control.

One is a thermometer.  The other is a thermostat.

One adds to turmoil and strife.  One exposes it and extinguishes.

 

What I have discerned from examining and putting these scriptures to memory is that it has a favorable impact on encounters and interactions.

Your thermostat will bring down their hot thermometer.

Killing them with kindness is softening them through kindness.  It forces the other person to be cognizant that you are being respectful in your response; in your lack of reaction.

Remember, your battle’s are not against flesh and blood enemies, it’s spiritual.  So, battle in the spiritual and not against persons in the flesh.

 

It is a great lesson when I see a recalcitrant daughter heated and angry steadily brought down to a simmer by my wife’s steady demeanor accompanied by a gentle tone.  She doesn’t give in or compromise but in her so doing the real issue is separated from the drama and emotion that does not get fuel it craves.

 When we are able to diffuse our ego, our emotions, we are able to get clarity which brings efficiency in making progress for reconciliation, restoration, peace, infusing what the other person needs to hear; whatever needs to truly be accomplished in the situation.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

Intentionally, today….and everyday… influence the atmosphere by setting your thermostat

Live Intentional – Today